Calcutta, Nov. 23: Epson India hopes to capture 28 per cent of the market for inkjet printers in the below-Rs 35,000 category by March. The company now enjoys a 24 per cent market share.

Epson has launched three printers with pigment-based cartridges that will produce better quality prints on plain paper.

“The products are for the home segment that wants to have better quality print-outs,” said Suresh Govindachari, business manager – consumer products. “Traditional cartridge inks are dye-based. Durabrite technology uses a pigment-based ink, which being water-resistant and light-resistant protects against fading,” he added.

The entry-level printer costs Rs 3,999, while the multifunction printer costs Rs 20,000. The entry-level printer can print around 17 pages per minute.

“The market for printers has remained stagnant for the last two years at 5 lakh units,” he said. “This year, it is expected to rise to 5.5 lakh units.”

Epson is also targeting one lakh photo studios in the country to sell printers. “Printing from digicams and camera phones will catch up in the future. This provides a huge opportunity for the printer industry,” he said.

Epson has also priced its cartridges lower by dividing them into four different pieces, each containing a single colour.

“Four cartridges — blue, yellow, red and black — will be used in the new printer. While the black cartridge will cost Rs 695, the colour cartridges will cost Rs 395 each,” he said.